What NC landscaping and lawn care licenses cost
How much does it cost to get licensed for landscaping in North Carolina?
The cheapest license is the pesticide license
A lawn care company that only sprays can be licensed for about $145 in state fees. That covers two pesticide exams and the first year's license.
The Core exam costs $50 and the Ornamental and Turf exam costs $20 at NCDA&CS. The Commercial Ground Applicator license is $75. There is no bond on the pesticide side in the division's published license terms.
Testing online adds a $26 service fee to each exam. Choose in person if the $52 matters. The exam path itself is in the pesticide license guide.
| Item | Fee | When |
|---|---|---|
| Core exam | $50 | Each attempt |
| Ornamental and Turf exam | $20 | Each attempt |
| Online testing service fee | $26 | Per exam, online only |
| Commercial Ground Applicator license | $75 | Every year |
$145 totalNCDA&CS charges $50 for the Core exam, $20 for the Ornamental and Turf exam and $75 for the Commercial Ground Applicator license. — NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, retrieved 2026-09-27
Landscape contractor license fees
The landscape contractor license costs $325 in board fees to start as an individual. Add $100 for a company license if you trade as an LLC.
The board charges $75 to apply and $150 per exam attempt. The individual license is $100 once you pass. The company license is another $100. Renewal is $100 a year.
The bond is the extra cost. The board wants a $10,000 surety compliance bond, and you pay a premium to a surety for it. When the license applies at all is covered in the landscape contractor license page.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application (one time) | $75 |
| Exam, per attempt | $150 |
| Individual license | $100 |
| Corporate license | $100 |
| Annual renewal | $100 |
| Late renewal | $25 |
| Reinstatement | $100 |
| Duplicate license | $25 |
$75 / $150 / $100The landscape board charges a $75 application fee, $150 per exam, $100 for an individual license, $100 for a corporate license and $100 to renew. — NC Landscape Contractors' Licensing Board FAQ, retrieved 2026-09-27
$10,000Landscape license applicants must submit a $10,000 NC Landscape Contractor's Surety Compliance Bond or irrevocable letter of credit. — NC Landscape Contractors' Licensing Board, retrieved 2026-09-27
Statutory ceilings on landscape license fees
The board's fees sit below the maximums the statute allows. The statute lets the board raise them without new legislation.
G.S. 89D-21 caps the application fee at $100 and the exam at $250. It caps the individual and company licenses at $100 each, late renewal at $50, and reinstatement at $250.
Budget from the board's published figures, not the ceilings. But know the ceilings exist, in case a fee notice goes up one year.
$250 maximum exam feeG.S. 89D-21 sets maximum fees of $100 to apply, $250 to sit the exam, $100 for a license, $50 for late renewal and $250 for reinstatement. — NC Landscape Contractors' Licensing Board, G.S. 89D-21, retrieved 2026-09-27
Irrigation contractor license fees
The irrigation license is the most expensive of the three to start. Board fees run $540 before the bond, if you pass first time.
The irrigation board charges $100 to apply, $340 for the first exam and $100 for the one-time study guide. A retest is $240. After you pass, you post a $10,000 surety bond or letter of credit.
This license also asks for three years of experience. So the real cost of entry is time, not only money. The detail is in the irrigation contractor license page.
$540 before the bondThe irrigation board charges $100 to apply, $340 for the first exam, $240 for a retest and $100 for the study guide, plus a $10,000 bond. — NC Irrigation Contractors' Licensing Board, retrieved 2026-09-27
The business filings that sit under every license
Forming an LLC in North Carolina costs $125. Its annual report costs $200 a year after that.
The Secretary of State charges $125 for articles of organization. A corporation also pays $125 to file its articles. The corporation's annual report is far cheaper at $25, but the corporation owes franchise tax instead.
Those trade-offs are set out in the entity comparison. The EIN from the IRS and the sales tax registration from the Department of Revenue cost nothing.
$125The North Carolina Secretary of State charges $125 for LLC articles of organization and $200 for the LLC annual report. — North Carolina Secretary of State, retrieved 2026-09-27
$0North Carolina charges no fee to apply for a sales and use tax certificate of registration. — North Carolina Department of Revenue, retrieved 2026-09-27
A first-year budget for a spray-and-install crew
A crew that sprays and does large installs, trading as an LLC, pays about $695 in state fees in year one. Bond premiums come on top.
That is $145 for the pesticide exams and license, $325 for the individual landscape license, $100 for the company license and $125 for the LLC. Add the irrigation board's $540 if you install sprinklers.
Year two is lighter. Expect $75 for the pesticide license, $100 for the landscape renewal and $200 for the LLC report. Hold that money back each spring so the renewals do not land on a thin week.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Pesticide exams and license | $145 |
| Landscape application, exam and individual license | $325 |
| Landscape company license | $100 |
| LLC articles of organization | $125 |
| Total before bond premiums | $695 |
$200A North Carolina LLC's annual report is due April 15 each year after the year of creation, at $200 on paper or $203 online. — North Carolina Secretary of State, retrieved 2026-09-27
Questions
Is there a bond for the pesticide license?
The NCDA&CS license page lists fees and certification periods for the Commercial Ground Applicator license and states no bond. The landscape and irrigation boards each require a $10,000 bond.
Do exam retakes cost the full fee again?
Yes on both boards. The landscape board charges $150 per exam attempt, and the irrigation board charges $240 for each retest after the $340 first attempt.
Which North Carolina filings are free?
The federal EIN from the IRS and the North Carolina sales and use tax registration from the Department of Revenue both cost nothing. Watch for private sites that charge for either.